The Trump administration has launched a new initiative offering undocumented immigrants $1,000 if they voluntarily return to their home country, a move aimed at accelerating deportations and reducing federal enforcement costs. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the program Monday, pledging to provide "financial and travel assistance" to individuals who use a newly repurposed mobile application called CBP Home.
The program, a rebranded version of the Biden-era CBPOne app, now functions exclusively to facilitate self-deportation rather than entry requests. "If you are here illegally, self-deportation is the best, safest and most cost-effective way to leave the United States to avoid arrest," said DHS Secretary Kristi Noem in a statement.
The CBP Home app enables users to inform DHS of their intent to depart the U.S., and in return, the department says they will be deprioritized for detention and removal "as long as they demonstrate they are making meaningful strides in completing that departure." The $1,000 payment is disbursed only after the individual's return is confirmed through the app.
The administration said one migrant has already used the program, receiving a plane ticket from Chicago to Honduras. "Additional tickets have already been booked for this week and the following week," the department said.
According to DHS estimates, the average cost of arresting, detaining, and deporting an individual is $17,121. The agency claims the new program could reduce that cost by up to 70%, even when factoring in the $1,000 incentive. DHS also said that participation "may help preserve the option" for legal reentry in the future.
Critics warn the program may mislead vulnerable individuals. "It is an incredibly cruel bit of deception for DHS to be telling people that if they leave they 'will maintain the ability to return to the US legally in the future,'" said Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a senior fellow at the American Immigration Council. "Many people who might see this as an option would be put in a WORSE OFF legal position. So this is a TRAP."
The initiative is part of the Trump administration's broader crackdown on undocumented immigration. Television ads and social media campaigns have warned of increased enforcement, while ICE resources have been requested in larger volumes. At the same time, the administration has acknowledged the logistical and financial burden of mass deportations and is using self-deportation as a cost-saving measure.
Reichlin-Melnick raised concerns that many individuals eligible for legal relief-such as asylum seekers-could forfeit their rights by leaving voluntarily. "If migrants are in removal proceedings and don't show up in court, they can automatically get a deportation order," he said. "Leaving the country usually counts as abandoning many applications for relief."
He also questioned the legal basis for the payments, suggesting the policy may be driven more by operational constraints than by immigration strategy. "They're not getting their numbers," he said, referring to the administration's deportation targets.
The CBP Home app, once a gateway for scheduling asylum interviews under President Biden, has been retooled as a channel for tracking outbound migrants. DHS claimed that "thousands" of undocumented individuals have already used the app to begin the process of self-deportation.
